I’m always down for some Toph Loving Hours lol. 😍 Here’s something I think about a lot: what do you think is the most misunderstood thing about Toph? 👀
Hey G! Thank you for the ask! I'm glad I'm not the only one that loves to chat about Toph. She's the best! :D Also, wow. What a question. Hit me in the feels haha.
I'm not the most eloquent in describing what I think is misunderstood about Toph, and it kind of depends on the situation on what I think people get wrong about Toph. But! I'll try my best to put it into actual sentences instead of just jumbles of odd phrases and exclamation points LOL.
So what I think almost everyone loves about Toph Beifong is that she's a powerful earthbender, a badass, and funny. She's got great lines throughout the show, and she's a pivotal part of the Gaang almost immediately with her talent.
And while it makes me so happy that people love Toph for this, they reduce her to just those three things, and often in the fandom, she's just cracking jokes or throwing rocks at people (which is like, in character, but there's more to explore).
What I love about Toph and what most people ignore is that she's extremely thoughtful and perceptive.
Despite the fact that she's never interacted with people outside her family or the Earth Rumble ring, Toph is able to fit into this ragtag group of teens and offer them advice throughout their journey. She makes deep connections with all the members of the Gaang and adjusts how she reacts to everyone's issues because she understands her friends and who they are as people. How she helped Aang and talked to him was different from how she interacted with Katara. Same with Sokka and Zuko!
Toph has meaningful conversations with tons of characters from the show, and the way those conversations are brought up aren't done by brute force or answered with only sarcastic quips, but she actually waits and listens to what the person has to say, and then responds accordingly based on how the person feels in that moment.
And the fact that she can do this at the age of 12 and without basically any human interaction prior to this is pretty amazing, especially when you consider the trauma and hurt she's probably feeling. She ignores (whether that's a good thing or a bad thing you decide haha) her own feelings to help her friends and gives them answers they need to hear in a positive manner. Toph does this without saying that much on the matter, either. It's not really like her to go on a monologue about what her friends did right or wrong, she just states the facts, reassures, and gives a loving punch to the shoulder. Simple and extremely effective.
So when it comes to her characterization in fics, it's really easy to fall into the pattern of just funny jokes and sarcasm and ignoring the fact that she's extremely smart and clever. I should know! I'm pretty sure I'm guilty of doing this in my stories because it's super easy to fall into banter with characters with her. But she has feelings, she is capable of saying and thinking about more than just blind jokes and rocks, and her thoughts are (likely) constantly moving and extremely perceptive.
That's what sometimes bothers me about reading her character in stories, that she isn't capable or given the chance to say or do more than make jokes. I think this would be fine if we dive deeper into inner thoughts, because I actually love the idea that Toph thinks more about she wants than saying it, instead going for the easy defense mechanism of sarcasm. Or just the idea that the reader makes that thought discovery with her or through other characters, if that makes sense. There's so much she's probably thinking about at once but would never say out loud, or if she does, it's because she's reached a boiling point where all she can do is confess to her close friends. A lot of times we go from snarky comment to serious talk after a few lines, and I suppose I prefer knowing what made her reach this point where she felt the need to tell her friends something that's been eating away at her. Because she wouldn't just cough up that information randomly, even to her friends. Facades and barriers are hard to break, especially when that person is stubborn. But sometimes, and with the right people, walls and barricades can slowly fall.
So, this was a long winded way of saying I think that Toph Beifong is extremely thoughtful and perceptive and smart, and I wish we saw more of that represented in the fandom. (I hope this made sense lmao). I know you mentioned what you thought people misunderstood about Toph, so I would love to hear your thoughts if you have a moment to spare!
Thanks again for the ask, and I hope you have a fantastic day! :D
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